


Here's to You, Mr. Robinson

by unknowableroom_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Drama, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-02-08
Updated: 2009-02-08
Packaged: 2019-01-19 11:06:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12409158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknowableroom_archivist/pseuds/unknowableroom_archivist
Summary: “Can he do magic, you mean? Certainly can. Guess I’ve got you to thank for that one.”� Random little one-shot. I have no idea where this came from. Disregard JKR's backstory on Dean Thomas.





	Here's to You, Mr. Robinson

**Author's Note:**

> Note from ChristyCorr, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Unknowable Room](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Unknowable_Room), a Harry Potter archive active from 2005-2016. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after May 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Unknowable Room collection profile](http://www.archiveofourown.org/collections/unknowableroom).

The street he grew up on is nothing like it was seventeen years ago. Diners and liquor stores have sprung up where apartments and tiny convenience stores used to be. There’s an eatery where Jane Allbright used to teach kids how to read. At the same time, it’s not changed much. Still there’s the old men smoking on front stoops and teenagers dancing to the crackling radio in a vacant lot.

Without giving it much thought, the man slows as he passes them, looking deliberately. He doesn’t know really who he’s looking for, though, so he moves on quickly.

There’s the record store Grace told him about. She hadn’t wanted to tell him a thing, but he’d gotten it out of her in the end. He grins when he sees the store name — Thunderthroat Records. Her mum had given her that name when she was a little girl for talking too much, but she’d just been starting to live up to it in other ways last he knew.

When the man walks in, he thinks the shop’s empty. Then he sees a young girl (she can’t be more than fourteen) sitting behind the counter doing homework. She’s Esmin’s, that’s plain to see. The man wonders whether she’s married or not now. The girl looks up.

“Sorry, sir, we’re closed.”�

“Oh, I’m not shopping, miss. I came by to see Esmin Thomas. Is she here?”�

The girl opens a door behind her and yells up a set of stairs, “Mum, there’s a man here wants to talk to you. Mr… uh…”�

She glances apologetically at him and he supplies, “Robinson.”�

“Mr. Robinson,”� she yells up.

A minute later she’s standing right in front of him. She’s changed. She’s older, regal, strong. She stands tall and graceful in a green dress. It comes as a surprise because somehow in his mind she’d stayed sixteen.

“Esmin — “

She cuts him off, asking her daughter, “Is your brother off with Alex Busker and the boys, Julia?”�

“Yeah.”�

“All right then. Now go on over and get Wendy from the Coopers.”�

As soon as they’re alone, Esmin turns on him and asks, “What the hell are you doing here?”�

“I’m back in town.”�

“I can see that. What gives you the idea you can just barge in here like this?”�

“I came back, Es. For you.”�

Esmin laughs, “Is that right? Funny how I would have thought you’d try that one a little earlier.”�

“Come on, I’m serious. I just wanted to do some things before I settled is all, but now I’m here.”�

“Thanks for your concern, but I’m not sixteen anymore, in case you failed to notice. I don’t need you now. All those years ago woulda been nice, but it’s too late for that.”�

“And what about the boy?”�

“He’s not much of a boy anymore, Dean. Nearly seventeen, same age I was last time you bothered to stop by.”�

“I want to see him.”�

“No.”�

“What do you mean, no?”�

“You hear me. You got no right going to meet him.”�

“He’s my son, Esmin. That gives me all the reason in the world.”�

“Not the way I see it. When was the last time you wanted him to be your son? Do you even know his name?”�

Dean pauses. He doesn’t know the boy’s name, but what does that matter? Now he’s back in London, he wants his family back. He wonders how much longer he’s going to have to put up with this mood of Esmin’s. Not for much longer, if he has his way, which he will.

“Well, the way _I_ see it, Esmin, you haven’t got much choice in the matter. Just you try and stop me seeing him.”�

She looks completely unfazed.

“You don’t scare me, Dean Robinson. Now this is my shop and my flat, and I am telling you right now to get your sorry self out.”�

She’s in her stride now, and he sees he’s underestimated he, though he won’t admit it or let on. And yet — 

“Mum, I’m not going shopping for school tomorrow. Seamus can’t come down until Friday. That alright?”�

There he is. He’s right here, right in front of him. That’s his son. He knows him right from looking because he looks just like him. Dean wants to say something but Esmin gets there first.

“Yeah, I’ll have Michelle work that day. Dean, you and me are gonna have a good long talk later about you spending so much time with that Alex Busker. You know what sort of things that boy gets into. It is _not_ gonna keep on like this, hear me?”�

The boy grimaces but says, “Yeah, I hear you.”�

“Good. Go find Julia and the girls, we’re eating soon.”�

Then he’s gone. She turns to Dean, the man, again.

“I thought I told you to get gone.”�

He doesn’t want to go, but he’s starting to realize this is a whole different Esmin. One that people respect and maybe even fear a little. Either way, people take orders from her without a thought to do otherwise. He’ll come back later, but for now there’s only one more thing he needs to know. 

“Is he… has he ever…?”�

“Can he do magic, you mean?”�

He nods.

This time when Esmin laughs, it’s not as cold as before. “Certainly can. Guess I’ve got you to thank for that one.”�


End file.
